The present invention generally relates to fabrication methods and resulting structures for semiconductor devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to transistor-based (e.g., field effect transmitter (FET)-based) zinc sensors.
Zinc can play an important role in biological systems. In healthy individuals, zinc homeostasis is established and maintained for proper cellular functions. Disruptions or fluctuations in zinc levels in biological systems, however, can be correlated with a variety of neurological diseases and disorders. For instance, aberrant concentrations of zinc ions can be associated with Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's disease, ischemia, and epilepsy. Measuring and monitoring cellular zinc concentrations in biological systems can be useful in the treatment and study of such diseases and disorders.